It is said that the tcho-tcho aren't even fully human -- old myths have it that they were created by malign gods who interbred a race of evil dwarves called the Miri Nigi with the human worshipers of a god called Chaugnar Faugn. It is also said that the tcho-tcho are just visitors to our world -- they claim that their true home is at a place called the Plateau of Leng.

The tcho-tcho are widely hated by their neighbors, primarily because the tribe enthusiastically practices cannibalism -- one of the more gruesome tcho-tcho delicacies is called bak bon dzshow -- roughly translated: human ganglia paste. The tcho-tcho customarily file their teeth into points and raid neighboring tribes for food. It is also believed that the tcho-tcho practice black magic, and in parts of southeast Asia, any episodes of bad luck are routinely blamed on the tcho-tcho.

There are very few tcho-tcho living in Western nations. Only a few thousand live in the United States, and they tend to work hard to blend in with American society -- practices like the filing of teeth are left behind in the interest of becoming productive American citizens. However, other practices seem to be more difficult to abandon; three tcho-tcho residents -- one of them a restaurateur -- were arrested and deported in New York City in 1997 for preparing and serving bak bon dzshow...